Icelandic Parliament Passes Bill Banning Pilots Strike

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Icelandic Parliament Passes Bill Banning Pilots Strike

A legislative bill on banning the strike by Icelandair pilots following the collapse of negotiations between the airline and the Union of Icelandic Pilots yesterday was passed 32:14 by the Icelandic parliament at around 2:30 pm this afternoon, ruv.is reports.

According to the legislation, the Union of Icelandic Pilots and Icelandair have until June 1 to reach an agreement or the matter will be placed before an industrial disputes tribunal. Members of the government stressed that the bill had been a last resort.

Lively debate took place before the vote. “What is the responsibility of a leading company in the country’s biggest export industry which delivers a 27 percent in profits between years?” asked Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir, MP for the Social Democratic Alliance. “Does this company really expect not to have to reach an agreement with its employees because here in parliament MPs intend to take away their rights?” she continued.

Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir, said that losses as a result of the strikes were so significant that something had to be done.

The pilots had been planning to strike again tomorrow, from 6 am to 6 pm.